The Tuned In Academy

Keeping Your Scales at Your Fingertips

Many of our students that have been with us for a while have learned quite a significant number of scales. 48 foundational scales (12 major, minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor), five additional modes x 12, and the blues scale alone makes 120 scales!

We need to practice them all. We need to know them. We need to have a command of them as we would vocabulary and language, the goal is to have what I like to call speakability with them. In other words, if you were to see in front of you something like this, could you play each scale in time from one to the next, in this context?

[ G Major] [Bb Harmonic minor] [C Lydian] [F Dorian] [C# Melodic minor]

Crazy? Perhaps. But that is the kind of command and speakability we want you to have. We want you to be able to play any scale at any time, from any point, even to change scales from one to the next midstream! And you can do it!

So how do you practice 120 scales and make sure you remember them all?

Here is one suggestion, just a suggestion, but I think you will find it helpful. Keep the foundational 48 as the focus. Alternate modes and other scales on occasion.

Day 1: Majors

Day 2: Minors

Day 3: Melodic Minors

Day 4: Harmonic Minors

Day 5: Modes, Blues Scales, Pentatonic, and other scales on an alternating basis

One month my day 5 might be spent on Dorian mode in all 12 keys. The next month I might go to Phrygian, etc. until I have hit Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, and Locrian. We are already hitting Ionian and Aeolian in our 48 foundational scales. It may take five months, but if we are reviewing a mode once a week we will recall them. And of course, you can always do more. Keep a practice log or note in your calendar what modes you are working so you don’t forget. Because these modes are all built of the majors they really shouldn’t need as much practice if you are working the 48 well. It is all a matter of perspective and knowing the order of the modes and their characteristic pitches.

Of course, if you are also working blues scales and other fun scales you should add those in as well. And if you practice six days a week you have one more day, you could do two days of modes and other scales.

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